


Five Nights

by SunshineReiji



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: And Reiji's here for him, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Ranmaru is basically having nightmares, ranrei for your soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-08-20 19:06:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16561571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineReiji/pseuds/SunshineReiji
Summary: As the anniversary of his father's death approaches, Ranmaru begins to be the victim of his nightmares again. Fortunately, he has none other than Kotobuki Reiji to comfort him through five long tiring nights.





	1. First Night

Ranmaru was breathing hard. His whole body was trembling. Clenching his fists, he was gritting his teeth in order not to cry.  
He saw everything again. He was standing in front of his father’s grave and he remembered, he remembered the late nights waiting for him to come back, he remembered his mother’s cries, his own worry, he remembered slowly forgetting his father’s face, voice, figure, persona, everything.  
He couldn’t recall his age, how he acted. All that was left was a dark, sinister silhouette slowly dragging itself to bed late at night and rising again early in the morning. He remembered the gloomy atmosphere the figure set in his house, as his mother’s cries were becoming louder and his little sister kept asking where their father was, but all that was left was a grave with a name he does not recognise, does not remember, _cannot_ recall. 

« Ran... where’s dad ? »

« I don’t know Juri... »

« Ranmaru... isn’t your father here ? »

« No, mum... »

« Ran... »

« Ranmaru. »

And Ranmaru can only clench his fists and close his eyes and hope everything goes away because he couldn’t do this anymore and everything was just a blur, a shitstorm without salvation, an endless torment with those voices calling « Ran », « Ranmaru », « Ran, please », « Ranmaru, your father... » and he wanted to scream because he couldn’t recall _his_ voice, _his_ father’s voice, the man he admired so much and he couldn’t _remember_ and he couldn’t breathe and _he couldn’t do anything_.  
He fell on his knees and grabbed his ears as he tried to stop the overflowing voices calling for him.

« Ranmaru. »

_I don’t know._

_« Ranran... »_

_Leave me alone._

« Ran... »

_Please..._

« My son... »

« Father, please... »

_Don’t abandon me._

« Ranran... »

« Where is he ? »

_I don’t know mum._

« Come back... »

_I’m sorry._

_« Please. »_

_Don’t do this._

« Dad, I need you... »

_Don’t leave me alone._

_« Ranmaru. »_

_I beg you._

« _We_ need you. »

_Please._

« RANMARU ! »

The silver-haired man jolted awake, cheeks wet, hair dishevelled, eyes wide, breath laboured.  
The first thing he saw was a pair of worried grey eyes ; and the first thing he heard was this horribly worried voice.

« Ranmaru... »

« Get out. »

Reiji - because this was the owner of the grey eyes’ name - looked taken aback. As his senses came back to him, Ranmaru was able to notice the brunet was kneeling near his bed, close to him.  
He had woken him up.  
But now he was seeing him at his weakest. He saw the tears, saw the sweat, heard the breath, heard the pleas.  
Ranmaru felt anger and shame burn him from the inside.

« Ranran... »

« GET OUT KOTOBUKI. »

He didn’t mean to shout, not really. But his nerves were on fire and he felt vulnerable and weak and terrible and he didn’t want anyone to notice that.  
He didn’t care about the hurt look on Reiji’s face, about how he backed out and nearly ran away from his room. He didn’t care about anyone or anything.

He tried to breathe in more deeply and more slowly. He rose from his bed and walked towards the window. Putting his forehead on the cool glass, he savoured the soothing cool night air and looked at the dark sky. He breathed in a few times again, trying to think about anything else than what just happened. He swallowed the excess of saliva and went to his wardrobe. He took off his t-shirt wet from his sweat and changed for a new one. Then, he proceeded to take off the sheets from his bed, but did not bother to change them again. He moved again to his desk, his activities helping him to settle down again. Next to the desk was one of his basses. He gently brushed his fingers against it. He’d play it now, but he wasn’t up for a fight against the _precious_ Count. Instead, he grabbed the Teddy Bear that was hidden under the desk, in a box so important that it could compete with the basses. He instantly felt better, lighter, calmer. He came back to bed, grabbed his phone and earphones, then settled in bed again and played rock songs. He turned his back to the door.  
Just as he was beginning to drift back to sleep, he saw a faint light appear in his room. Grunting and lazily turning around, he wasn’t fast enough to shout at the person who dared enter his room again, but fast enough to see a brown head hastily escape through the door and close it behind it. He looked questioningly at the closed door, before his eyes noticed a new object on his bedside table. A mug of hot cocoa was settled there with a small note on a green post-it.  
Still a bit confused and praying that Reiji did not notice Ted, he took the note and read on it the following message :

_« Drink it quick, I made it lukewarm :) »_

It was not signed, but the colour was enough. Despite him, Ranmaru smiled softly. Reiji’s good nature would of course tell him to come back and comfort his bandmate as much as he could.  
He had to apologise for the shouting tomorrow.  
And thank him for the attention.

He started drinking and his smile increased a bit. He felt calm and fine now.  
He’d be okay.

He would never admit it, but deep down, the hot cocoa was not the only thing that warmed his heart that night.


	2. Second Night

A few days have passed since Ranmaru’s nightmare. The rocker had apologised to Reiji for his behaviour and, of course, Reiji told him not to worry about it in his never-ending compassion and understanding.  
He would never tell him, but despite rejecting him, Ranmaru admired Reiji. He admired his ability to always smile, find the good words and gestures to calm everyone down, switch from a goofy and annoying attitude to a very serious one, to be such a good leader. Reiji was something.

Everything had been calm, but Ranmaru was growing restless. He always became more nervous and more prone to nightmares when the anniversary of his father’s death approached.  
This night was no exception.

Ranmaru dreamt, but this dream sent him to his darkest and deepest fear. He saw them all again. All of them. All of his previous, long-lost bandmates. People he confided in, he spent most of his time with, people he _trusted_ , all of them were standing there, surrounding him. Dark figures with no faces and yet Ranmaru knew, he _knew_ who they were.  
Who else could it be ?

« Ranmaru. »

« Guys... »

He tried walking to them, but as he was close enough to touch, they disappeared in dusty air. He tried to reach them, grab them, shout « Stay, stay, please, stay ! ». But there was no one there, no one to listen to his pleas and cries, no one to comfort him in this darkest night, no one to turn to, nowhere to run, only an endless space and not a sound.  
Ranmaru was alone.  
Alone, lost in a cold, empty, dark space.  
Abandoned in an unknown, wretched place.

His father left, his mother did too in her own way. She had grown distant when he needed her the most. Oh, but then, he had his bandmates, right ? No, they all let him down.  
He didn’t understand where he went wrong. Was it even his fault at all ? He had done nothing wrong.  
No, it was them, they all abandoned him. They left him there, alone again, as many times before. 

He shouted. He shouted as he lost himself.  
His own soul had abandoned him.  
And he fell, fell, fell, fell, fell.  
He abandoned his name, his voice, his face.  
His whole being left and there was nothingness.  
Dark.  
Cold.  
Alone.

« They’re never coming back. » someone told him.

He knew.  
He was merely a lonely body, stripped off of everything, swimming in a sea of emptiness.  
But water shook, it sent waves crashing on him and he tried to breathe but he couldn’t.  
His entire being shook under some sort of mightier force and he jolted awake when water filled his lungs. 

He gasped for breath as he looked around. He was on his bed, in his room. He heard his door squeak quietly and saw brown hair leave the room in a hurry.  
He sat up and looked at the door questioningly. His gaze drifted towards the bedside table and he noticed a mug.  
Lukewarm cocoa.  
He smiled again, his heart calming down a bit and breaths becoming deeper.  
He reached for the mug and drank it. It was soothing, his nerves settled and he was back in reality.  
He was not alone.  
The mug was a proof of that.

But Ranmaru needed more.  
He wanted another sort of comfort.

He rose up.  
Repeating the same routine as last time, he quickly got dry clothes and went towards Reiji’s room.  
After all, the brunet himself had said his door was always open. 

Without even bothering to knock, he entered the room. The light of the bedside lamp attacked his eyes, but he got used to it after a few blinks.  
Reiji was half-sat, half-lying on his bed. He was wearing a big pull-over that looked really warm and cosy. His hair was tied in a loose ponytail and he was visibly reading a book before the rocker had entered the room. Now, two big grey eyes were looking at him, worried.

« Ranran...? Do you need anything else ? » 

Reiji’s voice was soft. It was actually incredible, how such a loud and very nearly obnoxious voice could be so soft.  
Ranmaru liked that voice.

Without a word, Ranmaru climbed onto the bed, atop of Reiji. This visibly alarmed the clown-idol.

« R-Ranran... What are you doing ? »

The silver-haired idol brushed his fingers against the soft fabric of the pull-over. It was indeed incredibly soft.  
He let himself fall on Reiji completely. The brunet yelped in surprise.

« Neeeeh, Ranran’s heavy ~ » he complained miserably.

The younger man merely growled. Reiji chuckled lightly.

« I know, I know we’re only six kilograms apart, but you’re still heavy ~ You’re all muscle Ranran, it’s not soft ~ » he mockingly protested.

With another grunt, Ranmaru rolled over a bit and settled on the brunet’s side, arms around his torso. Reiji softly chuckled again and started petting the rocker’s hair.

« Hehe, you really are a cat, Ranran ~ »

And with that, both of them settled in a comfortable silence. Reiji continued reading for a bit, while Ranmaru slowly fell asleep again. 

He felt safe.  
He wasn’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of the story was inspired by this image : https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a8/dd/20/a8dd203d4838a54b4e6d23c8f9a88ba7.jpg
> 
> Thanks to MadSketch for correcting the chapter ! (Even though I am posting fanfics to compensate the lack of updates on 'The Notebook' *cough* *cough* but well, he's working on a new big fanfic so~)
> 
> See you next night C:


	3. Third Night

The day after was the first time Ranmaru had ever taken a good look at Reiji.  
And hell was the man handsome.

Ranmaru began to question why Reiji didn’t pull his hair back more often. He had, after all, a very pretty face.  
Today, the brunet was busying himself in the kitchen of the flat. It was his day off, the first one in a long time, and the leader had happily decided to spend his morning cooking a refined lunch for them.  
And, to Ranmaru’s greatest delight, he had settled for a Boeuf Bourguignon.  
The meat-lover was drooling over the meal already. 

The rocker had his morning free, and he decided to spend it observing the cook in action.  
And so, he had come to that conclusion : Reiji with a bun was very handsome.  
The clown-idol was humming happily to himself. He was wearing (and, quite frankly, _rocking_ ) a green apron and the whole image gave Ranmaru a sort of comfort he couldn’t explain. A familiarity. A particular closeness.  
It was soothing.

Occasionally, Reiji would turn around towards him and give him one of his brightest smiles.  
They had a sort of magical power, those smiles.  
They were loving and carefree and genuine.  
Just like Reiji.  
Ranmaru considered Reiji as a very beautiful person.  
The brunet always devoted himself to everyone, making sure everyone was all right, that everyone was feeling great, offering his friendship unconditionally.  
He wore his heart on his sleeve, a flower crown upon his head. Each of his smiles was a sunshine and everywhere he went, space itself vibrated with new-found energy.  
And yet each of them rejected him.  
But he kept being around.

Ranmaru felt bad.  
He had done nothing for Reiji, and yet there the brunet was : comforting him with warm chocolates and letting him sleep by his side after each nightmare, and now he was cooking a delicious meal for the whole group.

Ranmaru briefly thought they were all taking Reiji for granted a bit too easily.  
It surely wasn’t easy for their leader, to keep being so happy when facing constant rejection.  
Therefore, when everyone was home and Reiji served his meal, Ranmaru gave me the most honest ‘thank you’ he could.  
Reiji’s smile showed him he understood, as it grew so big that Ranmaru was actually surprised cheek muscles could stretch so much.

Night came a bit too quickly.  
The rest of the day had gone by in the blink of an eye. Ranmaru didn’t exactly notice when night has fallen, but he knew he did not want it to come so quick. He feared the nightmares, feared what other twisted images his mind would create.  
And unfortunately, he’d be alone tonight.  
Reiji had told him he’d probably not be at the flat, having to go back to his mother’s shop to help her out. Ranmaru had agreed silently, but he dreaded his bed more than anything.  
In all his kindness, Reiji had offered him a cup of warm cocoa beforehand.

However, life would be too easy if a mere hot chocolate could have prevented nightmares from forming.

Everything was dark around him, even though there was a quarter moon in the sky. The air was cold and nothing moved. Ranmaru couldn’t even place where he was.  
He looked around and noticed blond hair.  
Camus.  
He approached him, calling his name. But, when the Count turned around, he froze.  
His relationship with the Permafrostian was never one one could call « friendly », but never did the rocker see such a hateful look in those icy blue eyes.

« You disgust me. » Camus suddenly said.

Ranmaru just stood there, shocked, unable to say a word. Yet he had so much to say. Camus turned around and left, and Ranmaru tried to run after him but his legs felt numb and stuck. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even extend his hand. He wanted to scream after Camus to wait. The Count’s voice continued to play in his head and Ranmaru was filled with words of disgust, of hate. 

« You disgust me. »

« No wonder everyone leaves you. »

« You are not worthy of my trust. » 

« You betrayed me. »

Ranmaru tried to block these thoughts, stop the blond’s vicious voice. He put his hands on his ears, but the voice grew only louder, shouting at him.

His legs gave up and the ground gave up with them. He fell in an endless pit and he was floating again in darkness, the quarter moon staring mockingly at him.  
He heard another voice, which he recognised as Ai’s. He turned around and saw him below. They were both floating, but Ranmaru’s ankles and wrists were chained to the darkness that was swallowing him whole whereas Ai was floating towards the moon. He had the same look as Camus. Hate, disgust. Ranmaru tried to catch him, to make him stay here with him, but Ai escaped his grasp.

« Don’t touch me. » his voice resonated.

« You disgust me. »

« No wonder everyone leaves you. »

« You are tainted. »

Ai flew away, while Ranmaru was swallowed up. He choked on the betrayal, on the abandonment as his vision blurred and darkness took him whole, muffling his cries and screams and shouts and tears.

He was suddenly in his room again. He was panting, panicking.  
He noticed Reiji beside him.  
He very nearly smiled, but then looked at those grey orbs.

He saw it again.  
Hate, disgust.

« Reiji... » the rocker whispered.

His voice was broken.  
He was crying.  
Not Reiji.  
Please, not Reiji.  
_‘Don’t leave me, I beg you.’_

Reiji turned around.  
He left.  
And as he went away, light followed him.  
Ranmaru was swallowed in darkness again.

Not a word had been said.  
He was left in a heavy, unbearable silence.  
All of his senses had been taken away from him. His soul was left naked for the darkness to see. No one was here to see the remnants of his twisted self, no one to be astonished by his horrible, hateful, disgusting soul.

He opened his eyes, but didn’t see much. There was light, but everything was blurred.  
He was crying.  
He felt cold hands on him. One was stroking his own hand, while the other was stroking his forehead.  
He blinked and more tears fell ; but at least he was seeing something.  
He turned and saw two grey orbs staring at him, but this time with concern. A small, sad smile graced that beautiful face that was framed by wavy, layered brown hair.  
Ranmaru could only stare back.

« R-Rei... » the rocker started.

His voice broke.  
And he broke with it.

New tears streamed down his face and he tried to turn away, to hide from Reiji’s sight, but the brunet’s hand moved from his forehead to his cheek and he started brushing the tears away.

« Hush, Ranran... It was only a nightmare... I’m here now with you... »

Reiji’s voice was soft, calm, comforting. Ranmaru closed his eyes and let it sunk within him.

« You’re all right, you’re doing great... You’re strong Ranran... »

The rocker gulped. He looked at Reiji again and gently grabbed his wrists. He then pulled Reiji towards him, making him fall onto him. Reiji’s hat fell as the brunet let out a yelp. 

« Ranran... ? »

« Shut up dumbass. » Ranmaru interrupted him.

Reiji was still fully clothed, he then noticed. He hadn’t taken his jacket off.

« Stay with me, please. » the rocker merely whispered.

« I will, Ranran... I will. Can I just get my shoes off ? » Reiji chuckled.

Reluctantly, the rocker let go. The brunet didn’t waste any time and stripped out of his shoes and jacket. He then climbed onto the bed again and Ranmaru immediately clung onto him. He heard Reiji chuckle lightly as he started petting his hair.

« There, there Ranran. I’m here now, so sleep soundly. »

The silver-headed idol was about too, when a sudden thought struck him.

« Weren’t you supposed to be at the shop ? »

« I was Ranran ! It’s four in the morning, I just came back. I didn’t want to leave you alone for so long. Now hush ! I’m supposed to be awake in two hours, so I have to sleep. »

With that Reiji took him in his arms and snuggled against him. Ranmaru did the same without a word, even though he did not like the idea of Reiji running on so little sleep.  
He would talk about it with him tomorrow.

For now, he lost himself in Reiji’s scent and and presence, reassuring himself that, indeed, he was fine.  
That this group would hold on.

After all, with a glue like Reiji Kotobuki himself, how could it not ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been some time, but the new chapter is here ! :D
> 
> Thanks MadSketch for correcting it ! ^.^
> 
> Chu chu~~


	4. Fourth Night

Next day, Reiji was barely able to focus. How he managed to go through the day was an enigma.  
So the same evening, it had been Ranmaru who had greeted him with a warm although quick dinner and had made sure that the brunet was in bed early.

The following nights were quiet and calm. Both men managed to get plenty of restful sleep. During the days, they both realised they were getting closer to each other. They’d regularly meet to eat at least one meal together, sometimes enjoying each other’s company in silence, sometimes having Reiji talk relentlessly about something that had spiked his interest, whether it was a book or a film or a song. Ranmaru was happy when he did so, his face lighting up as he got lost in his little world that he willingly shared with the rocker.  
Ranmaru felt that, by lending his ear a bit, he was repaying a silent debt, for the help Reiji brought him.

As they opened more and more to each other, Ranmaru felt a silent fear rise inside of him. It gripped his guts and held them tight, twisting his stomach and sometimes making him gag.  
He feared Reiji would eventually abandon him.

Part of him knew fairly well this was close to impossible, this was Reiji Kotobuki they were talking about. The man was harder to get off than a gum stuck to a shoe, held on by that powerful glue that was called ‘I-want-to-befriend-you’. He didn’t know, in all honesty, what he’d have to do to make Reiji so mad at him he’d leave.  
But part of him told him that there was just so much Reiji could take. Ranmaru was still a bit too violent, too harsh with him, and the other two weren’t helping. And Reiji would surely grow tired or anything else of him. Perhaps he wouldn’t stay.

Eventually, it was little surprise that all those musings brought yet another nightmare.

From this one, Ranmaru didn’t remember much. He was alone and cold in a dark place. He didn’t know why he was there, hell he wasn’t even sure he could remember his own name. But, honestly, he didn’t care. He didn’t care why he was there, whom he was. His mind was taken by only one person, one name.

_Reiji._

He had lost him. Or did he abandon him ? What had even happened ?  
Did Reiji lose him or did he lose Reiji ?  
Did Reiji leave him or did he leave Reiji ?  
Why did he end up all alone ?  
He felt empty.   
There was only emptiness and cold.  
He needed warmth and light, that warmth and light that only Reiji soft smiles and shining eyes and bear hugs could bring.  
He saw them all flash before his eyes.

Reiji had many smiles and one was only made for him.  
When, in the morning, Reiji was already preparing coffee and he had just woken up, he would lean on the counter and Reiji would turn towards him, a questioning look at first. Then, like by the effect of some magic, his wide grey and oh so beautiful eyes would close a bit, becoming little crescent moons and the grey would shine so brightly, sometimes taking a light brown colour under the light of the morning sun. His hair still a bit ruffled embraced his soft traits and, upon realising whom had joined him, his a bit puffy lips would stretch, a small but oh so true smile offered to him and him only. And oh those lips, those rosy puffy lips that just demanded to be kissed and he wanted them so much. He wanted Reiji, to lose himself in him, in his scent, in his grey eyes, in his puffy lips, in his brown locks, in his soft and short arms.  
But he had lost him. He had lost Reiji somehow.  
And there were no smiles, no grey eyes, no ruffled brown locks, no puffy lips, no soft arms.

And he screamed.  
He screamed into this abyss, this darkness that enveloped him and made him forget who he was. He screamed and cried and tried to fight the dark, screaming for Reiji to come back to him, to stay with him. He called and called and called, shouting this name that used to sound so sweet in his mouth but was now drowned by the saltiness of his tears, away in an ocean of sorrow. He screamed and cried so much, for so long, that the name lost itself in his mouth, lost its meaning.  
He didn’t know whom to call for anymore.  
The name seemed to die the moment his mind created the mere thought of it.  
And so he ended up all alone.  
There was no one.  
Not even a name.

_"RanRan !"_

Huh ?  
A name ?

_"RanRan, please wake up !"_

Ran...Ran ?  
Was it his name ?

He opened his eyes.  
He didn’t see anything at first, for it as dark and his eyes were blurred by the tears.  
But he felt.   
Warmth.  
Comfort.  
 _Someone._

Soft arms were holding him. Small hands running through his back and his hair.   
He looked up and was met by two beautiful grey eyes shining with tears.  
He looked at them. Those grey orbs, and his eyes descended to those puffy lips that were slightly parted. And the name rose in his mind again, left his lips in a soft :

"R-Rei... ?"

The brown locks moved a bit as Reiji chuckled, but his chuckle seemed to die in his throat as a few more tears fell.  
He came back to his senses.  
Reiji was there, holding him.  
Holding RanRan.  
Ranmaru.

His eyes widened, as he came back to his senses.

"Reiji, why are you crying ?"

He lifted his hand towards the brunet’s cheek to wipe the tears away.

"You... you wouldn’t wake up. You were screaming my name and I couldn’t wake you up. I tried so hard but you were just tossing around so... so I..."

Reiji cried again and Ranmaru felt like crying with him. Did he make Reiji cry ? Did he make him sad ?

Would he leave because of that ?

Ranmaru wanted to sit up, so that he could take Reiji in his arms, but the brunet held him tight. His hands stroked his back and his hair quicker, as his sobs turned to small hiccups. The silver-head man let him do as he pleased, savouring the presence and losing himself in it, in Reiji’s scent, in his arms and hands, in his soft touches.  
He let some tears fall, snuggling closer to Reiji.

The room eventually grew quiet. Reiji continued to absent-mindedly stroke Ranmaru’s back and hair, his eyes lost. The other man held him tight, bringing their bodies as close as their position allowed.  
When he was a bit more aware, Ranmaru finally rose up and Reiji let him go. He sat up in front of him, looking at the brown locks, the soft traits, the grey eyes, the puffy lips. He cupped his face and started wiping the tears away ; and Reiji copied him. They were looking at each other, losing themselves in each other’s grey eyes, thumbs stroking their cheeks.  
Reiji’s lips were still apart, and with the remains of tears making them shine, they looked more kissable than ever.  
Ranmaru leaned in and Reiji copied him.

The kiss was clumsy, a bit hasty, perhaps too rough. Ranmaru deepened it, burying his tongue in Reiji’s mouth, entwining it with the brunet’s own, making him his. Their hands moved from their cheeks to their hair and their backs and their bodies entirely, making sure of each other presence and savouring it.  
Reiji was the one to break the kiss, leaving them both panting slightly, as if they realised only now what they did.

"Reiji, I..." Ranmaru started, only to be cut by the brunet’s lips that started kissing his neck and brown locks that tickled his jawline when finally the soft face buried itself in the crook of his neck.

"Silly RanRan..." Reiji whispered. "I’d never leave you, how could I ? I love my RanRan way too much..."

Ranmaru didn’t answer anything, but held Reiji a bit more firmly against him.  
He felt the smaller man’s body slowly relax against him and heard the light snores escaping him. He smiled and laid Reiji on the bed, before lying next to him.

Reiji barely let go of him, snuggling closer to the rocker. It didn’t bother him though.  
Something new had begun today.  
Something great.

And, for now, Ranmaru was sure Reiji wouldn’t leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, here it is !   
> I hope you enjoyed it ^.^ Now I shall try to write the last chapter :P


	5. Fifth Night

That was how, it seemed, Ranmaru and Reiji had ended up being a couple.

They had woken up in each other’s arms, their hands entwined together, an ambient scent of sweat and night and their perfumes in the air. 

Ranmaru had woken up after Reiji and had found the brunet looking at him so softly, so tenderly Ranmaru thought he could have melted under that gaze. Reiji was simply stunning, with his beautiful grey orbs looking at each parcel of the rocker’s face, his soft, puffy lips drawn into a gentle smile, his brown hair messy, locks falling without any coordination, the back of his small hand stroking gently his cheek.  
When Ranmaru smiled at him, Reiji chuckled, and the rocker knew this was the sound he wanted to wake up to everyday.

« Good morning RanRan. »

Reiji’s voice was soft, so soft. 

« Good morning Rei. »

Reiji chuckled again, before moving closer to gently kiss him.

They snuggled in bed, still a bit drunk with happiness.  
And Ranmaru swore he couldn’t have been feeling better.  
Reiji continued to laugh, and the more he laughed, the more the rocker loved the sound. He couldn’t get enough of him, of his lips, his hair, his scent. He started kissing every part of Reiji’s body he could, making the shorter man laugh more and more which made Ranmaru kiss him more and more.

« R-RanRan... we have to get up. » Reiji’s voice rang so sweet to him, even if the words he whispered made him grunt.

« Why ? Stay here, let’s stay in bed. » he growled in his hoarse voice.

The sweetest sound came out of Reiji’s mouth, as his chuckle made Ranmaru shiver.

« I’d love to RanRan, but you and I know that we have work to do ! »

Ranmaru grunted, but finally let go of Reiji and got up with him.

They were probably acting weird, they were closer to each other and Reiji couldn’t stop laughing and chuckling and grinning. 

Ranmaru couldn’t stop smiling either.

If Ai and Camus noticed something, they didn’t say a word, which the rocker was grateful for. It was a paradoxical situation, he knew it. On one hand, he wanted to be open and honest in the relationship he now had with Reiji, as he felt they both needed it : honest care about each other. On the other hand, as much as they enjoyed those private moments of tenderness and love between each other, they remained idols and needed to be very discreet about it. Ranmaru didn’t want to hide at home, that was all.

And they didn’t.

They freely cuddled on the sofa, kissed their cheeks and lips, nothing too much but enough to show love. For once, both of them were truly, undeniably happy.

But that happiness, however strong, could not fight the pain that came with that fateful day. The most dreaded in the year.  
Usually, Ranmaru left everything behind during that period : he’d leave one week before The Day, and would return one week after. Two weeks of silence and no sign of life given. Usually, that was what happened.  
However, the nightmares he had during that week and the care Reiji brought him were enough to make him stay. More than needing to be alone, he realised he needed Reiji by his side.  
So he didn’t leave. He left only for The Day.

He hadn’t spoken to Reiji on The Day, he had left like a thief before the early lights of morning pierced through shutters and windows. He had gone to his father’s grave and left flowers which he watered with droplets of sorrow and grief. He talked to the marble stone about sweet nothings and a brown everything, about new-found happiness and regret that he could not be a witness to it. When the sun whispered to him good night, he rose and left, coming back home too late for anyone to wait for him.

He didn’t find Reiji in his bed, he was sound asleep in his own bedroom. Probably didn’t want to pry or disturb Ranmaru on The Day, how thoughtful of him. However, the rocker wasn’t ready to be alone again. He joined his boyfriend in his bed, comforting himself in his brown locks _(he washed them today, they smelled of fresh citrus)_ and his small body _(he smelled of yoghurt and honey, his soap made him so tender and soft)_ and his light snores and eventually fell asleep.

No citrus, yoghurt or honey prevented his nightmare. It was one of the worst, one of his new fears manifested itself again.  
He was surrounded by lemon trees in blossom, whiteness taking the whole scenery, small petals flitting softly like butterflies frozen in time. The sun set a honey-coloured light on the sky, the clouds looked like yoghurt scooped together. The scenery was calm and relaxing, bringing him comfort.  
There was a bench, under one of the lemon trees. A man was there, sat comfortably, his brown hair looked fairer thanks to the honey-light.  
The man with hair as silver as the Moon approached him, smiling gently, but froze like the petals in time.

When the brunette turned towards him, a viridian green escaped his lips, fighting against the lime green of the lemon trees. It covered his chin, his white yoghurt t-shirt, his honey pants. He chocked on it, silver eyes begging the other for help, for release from the pain. The Moon-man ran towards his Sun, cradling him in his arms, crying for him to live, to fight whatever poisoned him.

The Sun died in the Moon’s arms that night.

Tiny stars like diamonds fell from Venus and Mercury while Fate laughed at the tragic destiny of those star-crossed lovers. 

As the honey sky was replaced by a purplish blue night and the yoghurt clouds got tainted by poisonous Mercury and the petals of the lemon trees stopped flying, the Moon rose and cried out to the Universe.

« REIJI !»

Ranmaru woke up drenched in sweat, panting. He was dizzy, confused, smelling and _oh God Reiji was dead_.  
The bassist jolted and turned around to grab _the dead cold corpse of_ Reiji, only to find _the cold cold cold oh so cold arms of_ Reiji already holding him tightly.  
He fought against them, he had to see, for himself.

He managed to catch the sight of two grey orbs shining with tears and _life_.

« Rei-Reiji...»

Was it his voice that trembled that much ?  
He was shaking, and so was Reiji.

« RanRan... It was just a- »

He didn’t even wait for the brunette to finish his sentence before hugging him tightly because Reiji was _alive_ and _well_ and _breathing_ and « You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive... » he muttered continuously like a mantra, a prayer to the Universe.

« Y-yeah, I am, although if you continue crushing me like this... » rose a muffled voice.  
But Ranmaru didn’t let Reiji go, so Reiji returned the embrace. They stayed like this, still and quiet, for who knows how long.  
When he had regained some composure and his voice was firmer, the rocker spoke softly :

« You died in my nightmare. »

He felt Reiji tense, for a mere second, not enough for anyone but him to notice, but he did, before his arms held Ranmaru even closer.

« Hush, I am here and I’m not going to abandon you anytime soon. »

_The Moon needs the Sun to have a purpose._

« Hey, RanRan, wanna watch the stars with me ? »

_They’re shining everywhere tonight, and brightly so._

« Yeah, I’d like that. »

Five nights of terror passed.

And for now, Ranmaru knew he’d be okay.

_As long as he could reflect his Sun’s light._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the official end to Five Nights ! I hope you liked it and sorry it took so long~
> 
> However, stay tuned for a special bonus chapter ! ;)


	6. Bonus Chapter : Sixth Night

Months had gone by. Ranmaru and Reiji were deeply in love, there was no denying that. They were nearly inseparable - especially since Reiji was always glued to Ranmaru. They would always try to meet up to eat at least one meal together, then spent their nights together, either just cuddling and kissing, enjoying each other’s presence, and sometimes - when their needs were too much and the mere touch of them was not enough - the nights became heated and filled with moans and short breaths and names of lovers whispered or cried out in pure ecstasy and love in its most incarnate form, carnal and sometimes a bit bloody when teeth and nails dug too deep in soft skin.

Reiji loved Ranmaru and he showed that. He was affectionate with everyone, but always paid close attention to his boyfriend, always asked him for his opinion first, always turned to him. He trusted him and saw him as part of himself.  
Ranmaru loved Reiji and, despite what people might think, he showed that too. He was kinder with Reiji, let him do his goofiest actions without complaining too much, accepted him entirely, kept a protective and watchful eye over him, would intervene very quickly in Reiji’s defence if Ai or Camus started arguing a bit too much, tried to watch himself around the Count not to stress Reiji out. He trusted Reiji too.

Reiji was, as Ranmaru quickly realised, a very secretive person. Of course, everyone had their secrets, the rocker’s father was one not so long ago (and Reiji still didn’t know everything exactly, he only knew The Day and who The Day was bout) ; but Reiji was a higher level. He opened himself a bit more to Ranmaru, that’s how the bassist learnt about Reiji’s truer nature, one that is melancholic and much sadder than what he showed to the cameras and fans and friends. He was anxious too, clung to the past and had a tendency to over-analyse each of his or anyone else’s actions. He trusted Ranmaru because he couldn’t fully trust himself. He had his fair share of experiences that shaped him into who he was now.

Ranmaru never pried in, never asked for more. He trusted Reiji and Reiji trusted him. He’d let him talk if he needed to, listening carefully even if he didn’t know how to respond most of the time. Reiji would tell him what he’s comfortable telling and it was fine.

The silver-haired man soon learnt that Reiji had his own Days.

One night, when they were sleeping together, the night began to be filled with moans, only they were not moans of pleasure and ecstasy they were used to share, they were moans of terror and sorrow.  
It was to those moans that Ranmaru woke to one night. The sound hadn’t woken him up, no, he was too much of a heavy sleeper for that. No, it was the kicking.  
Reiji was very still and quiet in his sleep, a deep contrast with his daily behaviour.  
Hearing him moan in horror and feeling him kick his legs was enough to worry him.  


Ranmaru turned very quickly towards his lover, switching the bedside lamp on. Reiji was thrashing about, breathing irregularly and even with the dim light the younger man could see his cheeks stained with tears.  
He stayed speechless for a few minutes, watching his lover struggling with some inner demon that resurfaced tonight. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t one for comfort, he didn’t know how to handle people. Reiji always said it was fine, that Ranmaru’s presence was enough, that it’d be fine.  
Except it wasn’t now.  
He had to help Reiji, he needed him. What kind of boyfriend would he be ?

Carefully, he grabbed Reiji to bring him on his lap, close to him. He hugged him, a bit disconcerted. He felt the smaller body tremble, still wrecked with light sobs. He started stroking his cheek, lulling him gently.

« Hey, Rei, wake up. » he whispered.

The shivers made him tremble too. He looked in the distance, keeping Reiji closer to him.

« It’s okay now, remember what you told me ? Those are only nightmares, you’re safe. You’re with me. I’ll protect you, okay ? Just let me in. »

After long minutes and repeated words of comfort, Reiji’s sobs subsided. His breathing became even, light snores replaced his moans.  
Ranmaru nearly sighed in relief. He passed a hand in his hair and looked at the sleeping man’s face, only to see two grey orbs shining with tears looking at him.

He jumped a bit, surprised, before smiling gently at his boyfriend. He stroked his brown hair.

« Hey, glad you’re back. »

A weak chuckle escaped his lips. Good.  
The brunette buried his face in Ranmaru’s stomach, snuggling against him.

« Yeah... thanks. »

He sighed, as if trying to blow away tonight’s nightmare. Ranmaru continued his small attentions, not letting Reiji go.

« You... you wanna talk about it ? » he asked, unsure.

As an answer, Reiji buried himself a bit more in Ranmaru, as if he wanted to disappear.  
To Ranmaru’s horror, his shoulders started shaking again.

He took Reiji and lifted him so he could face him, or at least he tried to. Reiji’s arms quickly wrapped themselves around Ranmaru’s waist and refused to let go.

« Reiji, hey, talk to me. » the rocker pressed him, clearly worried now.

« You _drowned_. » Reiji spat, his voice strained. « You went into the same _fucking ocean_ and _drowned yourself_. Like him, just like him. Please don’t do this, I promise I’ll be better. Please, don’t leave me like he did, not that, not again... »

His voice dissolved into sobs as he started crying, truly crying. The sight broke Ranmaru’s heart and he nearly launched himself at Reiji, hugging him tightly, almost making his body disappear under his. The brunette clung onto him like for dear life, struggling to breathe, his body shaken by sorrow and guilt and pure terror. 

Ranmaru didn’t have the words to comfort Reiji, so he let his actions speak. He hugged him and stroke his back and hair and kissed his tears and pain away. Gradually, Reiji calmed down, still clinging onto his lover, as if letting him go would result in his disappearance.

Without another word, Ranmaru lied both of them down in a more comfortable position then covered them with the blanket. Reiji’s face was still hidden in his torso, although his body became heavier as he relaxed. Ranmaru’s strokes and kisses didn’t stop until both of them fell asleep, reassuring Reiji of his presence, that he wouldn’t leave and never like this ; and started again next morning, as soon as he woke up.

Eventually, Reiji trusted Ranmaru enough to tell him everything about himself and Ranmaru did the same. It would take time, but they would be okay, that’s what they told themselves.

That was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that is the end of Five Nights !
> 
> Thank you all for following me through this fic, for your kudos and comments that warmed my heart, it is my only payment here~, and sorry it took so long to be finished. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did ^.^
> 
> See you all in another fic =D Take care and thank you all again !!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I AM SORRY.
> 
> It hurts to write things like this.  
> And it only gets worse QwQ
> 
> Pwetty pwease forgive me QwQ
> 
> Thanks to my beautiful and amazing Ranran for correcting it ! ~chu


End file.
